TAMPA, FL — In a dramatic Thursday Night Football clash at Raymond James Stadium, the Atlanta Falcons stunned the Tampa Bay Buccaneers with a breathtaking 29-28 comeback victory, highlighted by a hat-trick of touchdowns from tight end Kyle Pitts and a walk-off field goal as time expired.
Trailing 28-14 early in the fourth quarter, Atlanta looked out of the game. But quarterback Kirk Cousins, battling from behind, found a hot hand in Pitts, who finished the night with three touchdown catches and 166 receiving yards on 11 receptions — a rare feat for a tight end.
> “He just kept making plays when we needed them most,” said an elated Falcons coach after the game, celebrating Pitts’ career-night performance that electrified the stadium.
The comeback was capped in stunning fashion. With the clock winding down and the Falcons still trailing, Cousins engineered a clutch drive that included a critical fourth-down conversion to David Sills V, advancing the ball into field-goal range. With no time left, Zane Gonzalez delivered a 43-yard field goal, lifting Atlanta to the upset.
Pitts’ scoring onslaught — catching passes from Cousins for three touchdowns — was pivotal in narrowing the gap and setting up the final play.
Despite committing a franchise-record 19 penalties that continued to threaten their momentum, the Falcons rallied from adversity to seize the win.
The loss drops Tampa Bay to 7-7 on the season, damaging their grip on the NFC South title race, while Atlanta moves to 5-9 after a performance that will be remembered as one of the season’s most improbable finishes.
“We kept fighting,” Cousins said, summarizing the Falcons’ attitude on a night when nothing seemed easy but everything eventu ally fell into place.
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